Identification and instantiation of community driven content

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for providing community driven content includes at least one sensor for recording sensor data, a network interface, a memory, and a processor connected to the sensor, the network interface, and the memory. The processor is configured to record usage history for engagement with the apparatus by a first user over a period of time and receive the sensor data from the at least one sensor for actions by the first user over the period of time. The processor determines user preferences for the first user based on the usage history and the sensor data, and determines whether a second user is available for interaction with the first user. The processor then outputs the suggested action, at a predetermined time, to at least one connected display device or audio device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This application relates to home entertainment devices, and moreparticularly to a system and method for identification and instantiationof community driven content.

Description of the Related Art

Digital content distribution systems conventionally include a contentserver, a content player, and a communications network connecting thecontent server to the content player. The content server is configuredto store digital content files, which can be downloaded from the contentserver to the content player. Each digital content file corresponds to aspecific identifying title. The digital content file typically includessequential content data, organized according to playback chronology, andmay comprise audio data, video data, or a combination thereof.

The content player is configured to download and play a digital contentfile, in response to a user request selecting the title for playback.The user is typically presented with a set of recommended titles forselection. Such recommendations are based primarily on previousoperations and/or selections performed by the user.

A streaming media service generally includes a content server, a contentplayer, and a communications network connecting the content server tothe content player. The content server is configured to store (orprovide access to) media content made available to end users. Mediacontent may include, movies, videos, music, games, social applications,etc.

To locate content, a user may perform a search of media contentavailable on the content server. In response to receiving a searchquery, the content server may determine a collection of media contentrelevant to the search query and serve to the client device a pagecontaining links which can be selected to access one or more of themedia content. One approach for generating search results is to rankmedia content based on exact and fuzzy matches of user-entered querytext with the text of titles, synopses, cast, etc. of media content.However, this approach often provides unsatisfactory results.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodimentsin order to provide a basic understanding of present technology. Thissummary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments ofthe present technology, and is intended to neither identify key orcritical elements of all examples nor delineate the scope of any or allaspects of the present technology. Its sole purpose is to present someconcepts of one or more examples in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later. In accordancewith one or more aspects of the examples described herein, systems andmethods are provided for providing community driven content.

In an aspect, an apparatus for providing community driven contentincludes at least one sensor for recording sensor data, a networkinterface, a memory, and a processor connected to the sensor, thenetwork interface, and the memory. The processor is configured to recordusage history for engagement with the apparatus by a first user over aperiod of time and receive the sensor data from the at least one sensorfor actions by the first user over the period of time. The processordetermines whether a second user is available for interaction with thefirst user and determines a suggested action for continued engagementwith the apparatus based on the user preferences for the first user andthe availability of the second user. The processor then outputs thesuggested action, at a predetermined time, to at least one connecteddisplay device or audio device.

In a second aspect, a method for providing community driven content by ahome entertainment system includes recording usage history forengagement with the home entertainment system by a first user over aperiod of time, and receiving the sensor data from the at least onesensor for actions by the first user over the period of time. The homeentertainment system determines whether a second user is available forinteraction with the first user and determines a suggested action forcontinued engagement with the apparatus based on the user preferencesfor the first user and the availability of the second user. The homeentertainment system then outputs the suggested action, at apredetermined time, to at least one connected display device or audiodevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other sample aspects of the present technology will bedescribed in the detailed description and the appended claims thatfollow, and in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example infrastructure 100 forproviding community driven content by a home entertainment system,according to one implementation of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example content provider,according to one implementation of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example home entertainmentsystem, according to one implementation of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example methodology for providing community drivencontent by a home entertainment system; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an example processing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure provides techniques for identification andinstantiation of community driven content, in accordance with thesubject technology. Various aspects of the present technology aredescribed with reference to the drawings. In the following description,for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It canbe evident, however, that the present technology can be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order tofacilitate describing these aspects. The word “exemplary” is used hereinto mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Anyembodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

A streaming media service generally includes a content server, a contentplayer, and a communications network connecting the content server tothe content player. The content server is configured to store (orprovide access to) media content made available to end users. Mediacontent may include, movies, videos, music, games, social applications,etc. The content player can suggest media content to one or more usersbased on the interests of the users. The content player can also suggestmedia content to be viewed or played together with other users connectedonline as a social experience. Such interests may be determined by theviewing or search history of the users.

The present technology provides the improved media content suggestionsthat encourage more user engagement by finely tailoring the mediacontent suggestions to users. Sensors provide sensor data on useractions, schedules, and moods. User preferences are generated based onthe sensor data. The content player then offers media contentsuggestions based on the user preferences.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example infrastructure 100 forproviding community driven content by a home entertainment system 110,according to one implementation of the invention. As shown, theinfrastructure 100 includes a content provider 140 and at least one homeentertainment system 110, 111, each connected to a network 120.

In an example implementation, one or more home entertainment systems110, 111 are located in each residential home or small business, whilethe content provider 140 exists across one or more data centers. A datacenter is a facility used to house computer systems and associatedcomponents, such as powerful data processing, telecommunications, andstorage systems.

The network 120 can include a wide area network (WAN) such as theInternet, or a local area network (LAN). The network 101 can include anintranet, a storage area network (SAN), a personal area network (PAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), avirtual private network (VPN), a cellular or other mobile communicationnetwork, a wireless local area networking (WiFi) network, a BLUETOOTH®wireless technology connection, a near field communication (NFC)connection, any combination thereof, and any other appropriatearchitecture or system that facilitates the communication of signals,data, and/or messages. Throughout the discussion of example embodiments,it should be understood that the terms “data” and “information” are usedinterchangeably herein to refer to text, images, audio, video, or anyother form of information that can exist in a computer-basedenvironment.

The home entertainment systems 110, 111 connect to the content provider140 and to each other through the network 101 via one or more InternetService Providers (ISPs). An ISP is an organization that providesservices for accessing and using the Internet. Internet ServiceProviders may be organized in various forms, such as commercial,community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned. Internetservices typically provided by ISPs include Internet access, Internettransit, domain name registration, web hosting, Usenet service, andcolocation. Each ISP typically serves large groups of Internet users ina geographic area.

The home entertainment system 110 communicates with the content provider140 over the network 120 to obtain media content (e.g., movies, videos,music, games, social applications, etc.). The home entertainment system110 includes at least a processor 112 and a memory 114 for storing data.In this particular example, the home entertainment system 110 representsa processing device running a media content interface 116.

The media content interface 116 is configured to obtain media contentfrom the content provider 140, rendered on a display 120 (e.g., atablet, a smartphone, a monitor, a television, and/or a head-mounteddisplay (HMD) for virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR). Thedisplay 120 can additionally or alternatively include an audio outputdevice such as a multimedia sound system or integrated speakers foroutputting audio content.

The home entertainment system 110 represents a set-top device connectedto both the network 120 and the display 140 (e.g., a flat-paneltelevision). Accordingly, home entertainment system 110 isrepresentative of digital cable boxes, digital video recorder (DVR)systems, video game consoles, and other media devices capable ofconnecting to a network 120 and receiving and playing back media streamsprovided by content provider 140. In such a case, the disc player couldconnect to the content provider 140 and download interface componentsused to select and playback media streams. Further, the display 140 mayitself be an integrated device capable of connecting to the network 120playing back media streams supplied by the content provider 140. Forexample, some television displays include integrated components used toconnect to a streaming media service, video on demand services, or videosharing websites. The disclosure below in reference to FIG. 3 describesin more detail an example home entertainment system 110.

One or more input/output (I/O) devices 160 are connected (e.g., viawired cable or wireless connection such as WiFi or BLUETOOTH®) to orintegrate into the he home entertainment system 110. The I/O devices 160can include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a remote control, acontroller, a microphone, a television, a head mounted display (HMD),and/or a monitor, etc.

One or more sensors 150 devices 160 are connected to or integrate intothe home entertainment system 110. The sensors 150 function to collectdata on the whereabouts and actions of one or more users in a vicinityof the home entertainment device 110. The sensors 150 can include, forexample, cameras, microphones, radars, Light Detection and Ranging(LIDAR) sensors, pressure sensors, wearable sensors, haptic sensors, orsmart home appliances for detecting user location and/or activity. Thesensors 301 provide various sensor data to the home entertainment system301.

The sensor data is interpreted by the home entertainment system 110and/or the content provider 114. Because the home entertainment system110 may have much lower processing power than the content provider 114,computationally intensive sensor data interpretation may occur at thecontent provider 114. In some implementations, the home entertainmentsystem 110 may perform rudimentary data interpretation locally, but sendthe sensor data for complex processing to the content provider 114 overthe network 130.

The sensors 150 may be integrated to the media distribution device 110or can be external to the media distribution device. Sensors 150 locatedexternal to the media distribution device 110 are connected the mediadistribution device 301 via a wired cable or via a wireless connectionsuch as WiFi or BLUETOOTH®. The disclosure below in reference to FIG. 3describes in more detail the sensors 150 for use with the mediadistribution device 110.

In some implementations, the content provider 140 may serve a largenumber of home entertainment systems. The content provider 140 providesa computing system configured to transmit media content to the homeentertainment system 110 (as well as other home entertainment systemsnot shown). For example, content provider 140 may include a web-server,database, and/or application server configured to respond to requestsfor web pages and/or streaming media files received from the homeentertainment system 110. The media content itself may be distributedfrom the content provider 140 or through broader content distributionnetworks.

For example, in some implementations, the content provider 140 may allowusers to authenticate themselves to the content provider 140 (e.g.,using a username and password or using voice, fingerprint, or facialrecognition). Once a given user is authenticated, the user may receivesuggestions for activities from the content provider 140. The homeentertainment system 110 and/or content provider 140 may userelationships between user activities to generate a set of suggestedactivities and serve the set of activities to the user via the display120. The home entertainment system 110 downloads from the contentprovider 140 and plays one of the suggested activities. In addition togenerating the set of suggested activities, the content provider 140 mayalso use relationships and between user activities and activity historyof the user to generate other activity suggestions and recommendations,to present on the home entertainment system 110. The disclosure below inreference to FIG. 3 describes in more detail the generation of suggestedactions for users of the home entertainment device 110.

The content provider 140 can include any computing or processing device,such as for example, one or more computer servers. The content provider140 can be a single device, multiple devices in one location, ormultiple devices in multiple locations. The disclosure below inreference to FIG. 2 describes in more detail example content providerconfigurations.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram 200 of an example content provider201, according to one implementation of the invention. As shown, thecontent provider 201 includes a processor 240, a network interface 230,a memory 210, and a storage 220. The content provider 201 connects to anetwork 202.

The network 202 can include a wide area network (WAN) such as theInternet, or a local area network (LAN). The network 202 can include anintranet, a storage area network (SAN), a personal area network (PAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), avirtual private network (VPN), a cellular or other mobile communicationnetwork, a wireless local area networking (WiFi) network, a BLUETOOTH®wireless technology connection, a near field communication (NFC)connection, any combination thereof, and any other appropriatearchitecture or system that facilitates the communication of signals,data, and/or messages.

The processor 240 retrieves and executes programming instructions storedin the memory 210. Similarly, the processor 240 stores and retrievesapplication data residing in the memory 210. The processor 240 isincluded to be representative of a single CPU, multiple CPUs, a singleCPU having multiple processing cores, and the like. And the memory 210is generally included to be representative of a random access memory.The memory 210 can include any physical device used to temporarily orpermanently store data or programs, such as various forms ofrandom-access memory (RAM).

The memory 210 can include any physical device used to temporarily orpermanently store data or programs, such as various forms ofrandom-access memory (RAM). The storage 220 may be a disk drive storagedevice. Although shown as a single unit, the storage 220 may be acombination of fixed and/or removable storage devices, such as magneticdisc drives, solid state drives (SSD), removable memory cards, opticalstorage, network attached storage (NAS), or a storage area-network(SAN). The storage 220 can include any physical device for non-volatiledata storage such as a HDD or a flash drive. The storage 220 can oftenhave greater capacity than the memory 210 and can be more economical perunit of storage, but can also have slower data transfer rates.

Storage 230 includes media content 222, a user history 224, and contentmetadata 226. Media content 222 includes a library of media contentavailable for download or streaming by a home entertainment system.Accordingly, the media content 222 may include a collection ofaudio/video/game data encoded at various bitrates and stored on thecontent provider 201. Alternatively, the media content 222 may includemetadata describing the actual media files, which may be made availablefrom a content distribution network. In some implementations the mediaserver generates a license used by a client to obtain a given mediacontent from the content distribution network.

The user history 224 is representative of one or more log entries whichstore user/session data, including data relating to activitiesundertaken by various users of a number of home entertainment systems.Such activities may include, e.g., playing a video game title, listeningto a music track, viewing a media content, performing a search, viewinglinks, etc. The log entries may include, for example, a useridentification (ID), media content played by the user, a timestamp ofwhen the play started, and a timestamp of when the play ended. The logentries may include text of a search query entered by the user, and atimestamp of when the search query was received. The user history 224may include user IDs of each user subscribing to the streaming mediaservice, and may also include usernames, password data, user preferencesand settings, and other user information.

The content metadata 226 in the storage 220 may include media contentrollups, whether media content are available at various times, and otherinformation relating to media content. As discussed in greater detailbelow, the user history 224 and content metadata 226 may be used toidentify relationships between user activities and generate activitysuggestions. For example, the user history 224 and content metadata 226may be used to predict user behavior and preferences based onrelationships between media content and searches of queries. The contentprovider 201 can use the predicted user behavior and preferences, eitheralone or in combination with other data, to generate activityrecommendations and the like.

The memory 210 includes a social module 212, sensor data 214, aprediction module 216, and a suggestion module 218.

The social module 212 is an application that determines possible socialinteractions for multiple users of one or more home entertainmentsystems. In some implementations, the social module 212 analyzescalendar schedules, historical activity, preferences, and interests fora group of users to determine possible social activities between thegroup of users. The group of users may be friends or acquaintances on asocial network. The group of users may also be strangers and have noprior social interactions. The social module 212 may predict which groupof users may have the best probability of compatibility and thereforehave increased engagement with their home entertainment systems. Forexample, the social module 212 may determine that two specific users arefriends on a social network and both enjoy playing first person shootergames on weeknights, and therefore group those two specific userstogether. In another example, the social module 212 may determine thatthree users are in a vicinity of a single home entertainment device andgroup the three users together.

The sensor data 214 is received from the home entertainment system overthe network 202. The sensor data 214 is interpreted by the homeentertainment system and/or the content provider 201. Because the homeentertainment system may have much lower processing power than thecontent provider 201, computationally intensive sensor datainterpretation may occur at the content provider 201. In someimplementations, the home entertainment system may perform rudimentarydata interpretation locally, but send the sensor data for complexprocessing to the content provider 201 over the network 202.

The prediction module 216 is an application that predicts future useractivities. The prediction module 216 may analyzes chat messages,calendar schedules, historical activity, preferences, and interests fora user of a home entertainment system to determine what the future useractivities are likely. For example, the prediction module 216 maydetermine that a specific user typically engages with the homeentertainment system until 8 pm each night before a work day. Theprediction module 216 may then determine that the user has a holidaytomorrow (from analysis of an calendar application for the user) andpredict that the user will engage with the home entertainment systemuntil 10 pm in this case.

The suggestion module 218 is an application that analyzes the socialinteractions from the social module 212, the sensor data 214, useractivity history, and the future user activity predictions from theprediction module 216 to determine one or more suggested activities forcontinued user engagement with the home entertainment system. Examplesuggested activities can be for a first user of a first homeentertainment system to play a role-playing game from 5 pm until 7 pm,then watch a feature film from 7 pm to 9 pm with a second user when thesecond user of the first home entertainment system enters the room. Thesuggested activities can then be for the first user of the first homeentertainment system to play a first person shooter multiplayer gameonline with a friend (e.g., a friend of the first user on a socialnetwork playing on a second home entertainment system).

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram 300 of an example home entertainmentsystem 301, according to one implementation of the invention. As shown,the home entertainment system 301 includes, without limitation, an I/Ointerface 310 a processor 320, a network interface 330, a bus 390, amemory 340, and a storage 350. The bus 390 connects the I/O interface310, the processor 320, the network interface 330, the memory 340, andthe storage 350.

The I/O interface 310 connects I/O devices to the home entertainmentsystem 301. For example, I/O devices include input devices 305 such as akeyboard, mouse, or remote control. A user of the home entertainmentsystem 301 can use one of the input devices 305 to enter variouscommands.

Example display/audio devices 304 include a monitor, television, tablet,or smartphone with a liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode(LED), or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel, etc. The homeentertainment system 301 can output media content on the display/audiodevices 304 for the user to enjoy.

The network interface 350 is configured to transmit data to and fromnetwork 302, such as for example, to download media content from and/ortransmit sensor data to the server system 105.

The processor 320 can include single central processing unit (CPU),multiple CPUs, a single CPU having multiple processing cores, etc. Forexample, the processor can 320 be a chip on a motherboard that canretrieve and execute programming instructions stored in the memory 340.

One or more sensors devices 303 are connected to or integrate into thehome entertainment system 301. The sensors 303 can include, for example,cameras, microphones, radars, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)sensors, pressure sensors, wearable sensors, haptic sensors, or smarthome appliances for detecting user location and/or activity. The sensors301 provide various sensor data to the home entertainment system 301.

The sensor data is interpreted by the home entertainment system 301and/or the content provider. Because the home entertainment system 301may have much lower processing power than the content provider,computationally intensive sensor data interpretation may occur at thecontent provider. In some implementations, the home entertainment system301 may perform rudimentary data interpretation locally, but send thesensor data for complex processing to the content provider over thenetwork 302.

For example, cameras can provide sensor data that allows the homeentertainment system 301 to determine a variety of information aboutusers and their environment. In some implementations, one or more ofvarious image processing and/or machine vision algorithms known in theart can be used to interpret the sensor data from the cameras. Forexample, the home entertainment system 301 can determine from the sensordata how many users are in a room, if any, and their user identity. Thehome entertainment system 301 can determine from the sensor data whatactivities one or more users in the room are engaged in, such as forexample, resting on couch, eating a meal, in conversation, etc. Inanother example, the home entertainment system 301 can determine fromthe sensor data facial expressions and moods of the users. For example,the home entertainment system 301 can determine the mood of a user ifthe sensor data shows that the user is smiling or frowning. In anotherexample, the home entertainment system 301 can determine from the sensordata how many users in the vicinity of the home entertainment system 310are available to engage in a social activity.

Audio sensors such as microphones can provide sensor data that allowsthe home entertainment system 301 to determine a variety of informationabout users and their environment. One or more of various speech andsound processing algorithms known in the art can be used to interpretthe sensor data from the microphones. For example, the homeentertainment system 301 can determine from the sensor data voicecommands. The audio sensors can also allow the home entertainment system301 to passively receive sensor data for determining user preferences,behavior patterns, moods, schedules, etc. For example, the homeentertainment system 110 can determine the mood of a user based on voicetonality and/or positive (e.g., “I like this song”) or negative (e.g.,“what else is on TV?”) speech. For example, the home entertainmentsystem 301 can determine the schedule of a user based on speed (e.g., “Ihave a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning at 8 am” or “I need to getto bed in an hour”).

Wearable and haptic sensors can provide sensor data that allows the homeentertainment system 301 to determine user health and other body statusinformation. For example, a smart watch can provide sensor data to thehome entertainment system 110 for heart rate of a user.

The sensors 303 may be integrated to the home entertainment system 301or can be external to the home entertainment system. Sensors 303 locatedexternal to the home entertainment system 301 are connected the homeentertainment system 301 via a wired cable or via a wireless connectionsuch as WiFi or BLUETOOTH®.

The memory 340 can include any physical device used to temporarily orpermanently store data or programs, such as various forms ofrandom-access memory (RAM). The storage 350 may be a disk drive storagedevice. Although shown as a single unit, the storage 350 may be acombination of fixed and/or removable storage devices, such as magneticdisc drives, solid state drives (SSD), removable memory cards, opticalstorage, network attached storage (NAS), or a storage area-network(SAN). The storage 350 can include any physical device for non-volatiledata storage such as a HDD or a flash drive. The storage 350 can oftenhave greater capacity than the memory 340 and can be more economical perunit of storage, but can also have slower data transfer rates.

Storage 330, such as a hard disk drive or solid-state (SSD) storagedrive, may store media content 352 locally on the home entertainmentsystem such as files for an operating system, applications, games,videos, audio, user preferences, logs, and any other data.

The memory 340 stores data to be conveniently accessed by the processor320 such as an operating system 348 and media applications 342. Theoperating system 348 is system software that manages computer hardwareand software resources and provides common services for computerprograms.

The media applications 342 can include a media content interface 344.The media content interface 344 is a software application that allows auser to access, browse, search, and play media content such as movies,videos, music, games, social applications, etc. The media content may belocally available on the storage 350 of the home entertainment system301 or be available over the network 302 (e.g., stored at a contentprovider or a peer home entertainment system).

In some implementations, the media content interface 344 may permit auser to enter search queries for transmission to the content providervia the network 302. Content found and downloaded from the contentprovider or a peer home entertainment system may be stored in storage350 as buffered media content prior to being decoded and played by themedia content interface 344.

The media applications 342 can include a suggestion module 346. Thesuggestion module 346 is an application that analyzes the socialinteractions, sensor data from the sensors 303, user activity history,and the future user activity predictions to determine one or moresuggested activities for continued user engagement with the homeentertainment system. Example suggested activities can be for a firstuser of a first home entertainment system to play a role-playing gamefrom 5 pm until 7 pm, and then watch a feature film from 7 pm to 9 pmwith a second user when the second user of the first home entertainmentsystem enters the room. The suggested activities can be for the firstuser of the first home entertainment system to play a first personshooter multiplayer game online with a friend (e.g., a friend of thefirst user on a social network playing on a second home entertainmentsystem).

In some implementations, the suggestion module 346 may determine when auser of the home entertainment system is likely to disengage from activeparticipation with the apparatus, based on the usage history, andgenerate a suggested activity that starts at or before the disengagementtime. The suggestion module 346 may determine that a user of the homeentertainment system 301 will typically go to bed at 11 pm each nightand will suggest media content that starts before 11 pm.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example methodology 400 for providing communitydriven content by a home entertainment system. At step 410, the homeentertainment system records usage history for engagement with theapparatus by a first user over a period of time.

At step 420, the home entertainment system receives the sensor data fromthe at least one sensor for actions by the first user over the period oftime. In some implementations, the at least one sensor includes at leastone of a microphone or a camera. the at least one sensor can include atleast one of a wearable sensor or a haptic sensor.

At step 430, the home entertainment system determines user preferencesfor the first user based on the usage history and the sensor data. Insome implementations, the user preferences is based on sensor data froma camera for facial expressions of the first user. The user preferencescan be based on sensor data from a microphone for positive or negativevoice reactions of the first user.

At step 440, the home entertainment system determines whether a seconduser is available for interaction with the first user.

At step 450, the home entertainment system determines a suggested actionfor continued engagement with the apparatus based on the userpreferences for the first user and the availability of the second user.In some implementations, the suggested action is additionally based onuser preferences for the second user.

At step 450, the home entertainment system outputs the suggested action,at a predetermined time, to at least one connected display device oraudio device.

In some implementations, the home entertainment system furtherdetermines a disengagement time when the user is predicted to disengagefrom active participation with the apparatus, based on the usagehistory. The predetermined time can be at or before the disengagementtime.

In some implementations, the home entertainment system determines aschedule for the first user from at least one of an online socialnetwork, a personal calendar application, an electronic mailapplication, chat application, or text application of the first user,where the suggested action is additionally based on the schedule.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an example processing device 500.The processing device 500 can include a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)510, a memory 520, a storage 530, a network interface 540, a processor550, a northbridge 560, a southbridge 570, and an input/output (IO)interface 580.

The processing device 500 can be any apparatus for processing data, suchas for example, a server computer (e.g., one of many rack servers in adata center), a personal computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, atablet, an entertainment console, a wearable device, or a set top box.The processor (e.g., central processing unit (CPU)) 550 can be a chip ona motherboard that can retrieve and execute programming instructionsstored in the memory 520. The processor 550 can be a single CPU with asingle processing core, a single CPU with multiple processing cores, ormultiple CPUs. One or more buses 590 can transmit instructions andapplication data between various computer components such as theprocessor 550, memory 520, storage 530, and networking interface 540.

The memory 520 can include any physical device used to temporarily orpermanently store data or programs, such as various forms ofrandom-access memory (RAM). The storage 530 can include any physicaldevice for non-volatile data storage such as a HDD or a flash drive. Thestorage 530 can often have greater capacity than the memory 520 and canbe more economical per unit of storage, but can also have slower datatransfer rates.

The BIOS 510 can include a Basic Input/Output System or its successorsor equivalents, such as an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) orUnified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). The BIOS 510 can include aBIOS chip located on a motherboard of the processing device 500 storinga BIOS software program. The BIOS 510 can store firmware executed whenthe computer system is first powered on along with a set ofconfigurations specified for the BIOS 510. The BIOS firmware and BIOSconfigurations can be stored in a non-volatile memory (e.g., NVRAM) 512or a ROM such as flash memory. Flash memory is a non-volatile computerstorage medium that can be electronically erased and reprogrammed.

The BIOS 510 can be loaded and executed as a sequence program each timethe processing device 500 is started. The BIOS 510 can recognize,initialize, and test hardware present in a given computing system basedon the set of configurations. The BIOS 510 can perform self-test, suchas a Power-on-Self-Test (POST), on the processing device 500. Thisself-test can test functionality of various hardware components such ashard disk drives, optical reading devices, cooling devices, memorymodules, expansion cards and the like. The BIOS can address and allocatean area in the memory 520 in to store an operating system. The BIOS 510can then give control of the computer system to the OS.

The BIOS 510 of the processing device 500 can include a BIOSconfiguration that defines how the BIOS 510 controls various hardwarecomponents in the processing device 500. The BIOS configuration candetermine the order in which the various hardware components in theprocessing device 500 are started. The BIOS 510 can provide an interface(e.g., BIOS setup utility) that allows a variety of different parametersto be set, which can be different from parameters in a BIOS defaultconfiguration. For example, a user (e.g., an administrator) can use theBIOS 510 to specify dock and bus speeds, specify what peripherals areattached to the computer system, specify monitoring of health (e.g., fanspeeds and CPU temperature limits), and specify a variety of otherparameters that affect overall performance and power usage of thecomputer system.

The I/O interface 580 allows the processing device 500 to connect withI/O devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a remote control, a controller,a microphone, a television, a head mounted display (HMD), and/or amonitor, etc.

The northbridge 560 can be a chip on the motherboard that can bedirectly connected to the processor 550 or can be integrated into theprocessor 550. In some instances, the northbridge 560 and thesouthbridge 570 can be combined into a single die. The northbridge 560and the southbridge 570, manage communications between the processor 550and other parts of the motherboard. The northbridge 560 can manage tasksthat require higher performance than the southbridge 570. Thenorthbridge 560 can manage communications between the processor 550, thememory 520, and video controllers (not shown). In some instances, thenorthbridge 560 can include a video controller.

The southbridge 570 can be a chip on the motherboard connected to thenorthbridge 560, but unlike the northbridge 560, is not directlyconnected to the processor 550. The southbridge 570 can manageinput/output functions (e.g., audio functions, BIOS, Universal SerialBus (USB), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus, PCI eXtended (PCI-X) bus, PCI Expressbus, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Serial PeripheralInterface (SPI) bus, Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface (eSPI) bus,System Management Bus (SMBus), etc.) of the processing device 500. Thesouthbridge 570 can be connected to or can include within thesouthbridge 570 the I/O interface 570, Direct Memory Access (DMAs)controllers, Programmable Interrupt Controllers (PICs), and a real-timedock.

The input device 502 can be at least one of a game controller, ajoystick, a mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a trackpad, or othersimilar control device. The input device 502 allows a user to provideinput data to the processing device 500.

The display device 504 can be at least one of a monitor, alight-emitting display (LED) screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD)screen, a head mounted display (HMD), a virtual reality (VR) display, aaugmented reality (AR) display, or other such output device. The displaydevice 504 allows the processing device 500 to output visual informationto a user.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the disclosure herein can be implemented or performedwith a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor can be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The operations of a method or algorithm described in connection with thedisclosure herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a softwaremodule executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. Asoftware module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that theprocessor can read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integralto the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in anASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, theprocessor and the storage medium can reside as discrete components in auser terminal.

In one or more exemplary designs, the functions described can beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions can be stored on ortransmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium. Non-transitory computer-readable mediaincludes both computer storage media and communication media includingany medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from oneplace to another. A storage media can be any available media that can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can includeRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code means in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by ageneral-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose orspecial-purpose processor. Disk and disc, as used herein, includescompact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc(DVD), floppy disk and blue ray disc where disks usually reproduce datamagnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope ofnon-transitory computer-readable media.

The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable anyperson skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Variousmodifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can beapplied to other variations without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to theexamples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widestscope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosedherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for providing community drivencontent, comprising: at least one sensor for recording sensor data; anetwork interface; a memory; and a processor connected to the sensor,the network interface, and the memory configured to: record usagehistory for engagement with the apparatus by a first user over a periodof time; receive the sensor data from the at least one sensor foractions by the first user over the period of time; determine userpreferences for the first user based on the usage history and the sensordata; determine whether a second user is available for interaction withthe first user; determine a suggested action for continued engagementwith the apparatus based on the user preferences for the first user andthe availability of the second user; and output the suggested action, ata predetermined time, to at least one connected display device or audiodevice.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensorcomprises at least one of a microphone or a camera.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of awearable sensor or a haptic sensor.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe processor is further configured to determine a disengagement timewhen the user is predicted to disengage from active participation withthe apparatus, based on the usage history.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein the predetermined time is at or before the disengagement time.6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second useris available comprises determining whether the second user is in avicinity based on the sensor data or whether the second user isavailable on a remotely connected apparatus.
 7. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the suggested action is additionally based on userpreferences for the second user.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe processor if further configured to: determines a schedule for thefirst user from at least one of an online social network, a personalcalendar application, an electronic mail application, chat application,or text application of the first user, wherein the suggested action isadditionally based on the schedule.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe user preferences is based on sensor data from a camera for facialexpressions of the first user.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theuser preferences is based on sensor data from a microphone for positiveor negative voice reactions of the first user.
 11. A method forproviding community driven content by a home entertainment system,comprising: recording usage history for engagement with the apparatus bya first user over a period of time; receiving the sensor data from theat least one sensor for actions by the first user over the period oftime; determining user preferences for the first user based on the usagehistory and the sensor data; determining whether a second user isavailable for interaction with the first user; determining a suggestedaction for continued engagement with the apparatus based on the userpreferences for the first user and the availability of the second user;and outputting the suggested action, at a predetermined time, to atleast one connected display device or audio device.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising determining a disengagement time when theuser is predicted to disengage from active participation with theapparatus, based on the usage history.
 13. The system of claim 12,wherein the predetermined time is at or before the disengagement time.14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the second useris available comprises determining whether the second user is in avicinity based on the sensor data or whether the second user isavailable on a remotely connected apparatus.
 15. The method of claim 11,wherein the suggested action is additionally based on user preferencesfor the second user.
 16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:determining a schedule for the first user from at least one of an onlinesocial network, a personal calendar application, an electronic mailapplication, chat application, or text application of the first user,wherein the suggested action is additionally based on the schedule. 17.The method of claim 11, wherein the user preferences is based on sensordata from a camera for facial expressions of the first user.
 18. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the user preferences is based on sensor datafrom a microphone for positive or negative voice reactions of the firstuser.